The Brookhaven leader., 1887-04-21
County Polltlcs-A case OF Thief
Crying "Stop, Thlef'--Farm-
ers Won't Stick Together.
Editor Brookhaven Leader:

Editor Brookhaven Leader:
As life long Democrat, and one
who has often deplured the dCmor
Situation oi our party in this county.
| warmly opprove OF your efforts and
those Of the Chairman OF our coun
lv Executive Committee in the
interest Of party reorganization and
discipline. Your article Of last
week struck the nail squareIy on
the head and has the ring of the
true metal. Party lines have been
ignored too long already and often
TO our hurt.
My main object in writing this,
though, is to answer few ohjec
lions have heard To making nomin-
ations for county officers. True.
these objections come mainly from
men who are not democrats, or who
expect to advance their personal
interests at the expense Of the party,
but they are noce the less calcuia
ted TO mislead unthinking members
of the party. One of these objections
is that conventions are manipulated
by town chQucs and political
lrickstcrs, who use the people To
toward their own selfish ends.
There never was better illustration
of thief following "Slop, thief A
county nominating Convention is
composed of men elected at beat
meetings by the people, and nothing
can be fairer, if candidates for office
will submit their claims TO the de
cision of the party, and then use
their efforts in getting the people
out at their meetings before the
nominating convention is held
They can even have the beat
meetings to instruct for their choice
for the various offices, if 1t is
preferred.
1t is also objected that there has
been lack of harmony in foIhcr
conventions, and the Hooker Banks
dale contest of last fail is
cited az an example OF this. Such
q reason as this is pucrile, for
there never was political contest
Of any consequence either within or
between parties that there was not
more or less lack of harmony.
But, Mr.. Editor, you stron gly hint
ed Mt the cause Of this lack of
harmony in the Hooker Bark sda!e
convention, and you gave the rem
edy to be applied. 1t WAS all be.
cause men who were not Democrats
and had no business in q Democratic
Convention, forced themselves
where they had no right, and
they were enabled To do this, be-
cause OF slack discipline heretofore,
and which, il / understand correctly,
is one uf the needed reforms now
sought 10 be accomplished. But ]
want To remark right here, that
notwithstanding thele was split
because the Ban ksdaic men thought
they had been unfairly beaten by
Republican votes masquerading No
Democrats, when the dispute WAS
to the Democratic district
Convention and it decided in favor
of the Hooker delegates, both Mr..
Barksdale and his followers grace
fully acGuiesced in the decision and
gave the nominee their support and
votes. Like the true Democrats
that they were, not onCe did they
think Of encouraging free race CT
AN independent move OF any sort
something not Il few prCfesSed
Democrats of Lincoln county would
do well TO pattern after.
There has been . good deal said
about filling the offices with farmers,
and being a farmer myself, l would
like to see them have a majority of
the offices, but it will never he done
until tho farmers learn some sense.
IL is all nonsense to talk of town
and convention rings controlling
the people in their interests, unless
they are willing for the rings to do
it. There are not three hundred
voters in the towns of the county
all told Democrats and Republi
cans combned-and the country
people have it in their power to
unite upon and elect whom they
please; but they will never do it
unless they organize, and they
will never organize aud concen-
trate their vote on any set of can
didaies unless they first hold